New series!

I was looking around on TV.com the other day, trying to find out when Project Runway starts back up, when I came across a new series I hadn’t heard of yet, that had just started six weeks ago, called Mental. It’s about this guy who’s been newly appointed as the head of the psychiatric department in a hospital in L.A. . I loooove this new show! First of all, this guy is not bad looking, and has a sense of humor that reminds me of House – although it’s more playful and less cynical. He always has a smirk in his eyes and a smile on his face, he’s like a kid in a candy store. When the others see something as pathological or even worrying, he goes: “interesting”. That’s what I would do! He has very unorthodox methods, which I think is great, and luckily also has the authority to pull them through. He comes to work by bike and would rather be in the mountains than in this huge city… So many similarities!

Speaking of the “others”: there’s a cast of psychiatrists – medical doctors, not medical deities, as he has to remind them – that portray the clichés I have encountered so far. There are no psychologists. Because we all come with a cloak of invisibility, don’cha know. The two undergrads are sent on missions to actually speak to the real live relatives of the patients – omg! – instead of purely working indoors on station. There’s the very arrogant, flamboyant doctor who specializes in addiction and deals with the pharmaceutical companies, i.e. lets them use the patients for case trials, and only thinks about the money. There’s the slightly insecure, sensitive women who always wants to stick to a schedule, and then there’s the boss – a psychiatric version of Cuddy.

What I like most about this series is the fact that they approach mental illness with some reality (even though they do fib on some diagnosis). The main character sees these illnesses as riddles that have to be solved, so he tries to get in the heads of the patients and see the world through their eyes. I think it’s important to understand that these people are not “insane”, that they have problems that need – and can – be fixed. And once you know that 1 out of every 2 people develop a relevant mental problem in the course of their lifetime, you can’t look down on them anymore. I’ve watched all the episodes I could get so far – and I can’t wait to see more!

goddammit

Just saw a trailer for a new movie coming in October (in the states) via a french blog – and goddammit, I am pissed. Probably more than I should be, I know. Look:

 

Yes, it looks like a good creepy story. Yes, there are good actors in it. Yes, the visual effects are surely impressive. BUT: I am sick and tired of psychiatric hospitals and mental illness being portrayed as such whack jobs. Sure, it plays in the past. But how many people will think that we still keep people behind bars, all wear white, etc. That these patients are just waiting for their chance to break out and attack you. Even the “criminally insane” are humans. They don’t just go haywire or buck wild. Goddammit.

Speaking of buck wild: The BF and I went to see Ice Age 3 yesterday, and I love the new character, Buck. The movie was funny as always and they managed to not repeat themselves or make it boring. All new ideas and – what I hadn’t expected – many many tangents to other movies! My head was exploding with references! The only annoying thing were all the women in the audience going “awwww” and “sooo cute!” all the time. I personally saw the kitsch overload as irony, but whatever.

Other movies I’m waiting to see include: Brüno, Inglorious Basterds and possibly Food, Inc.

I plan a big post series on the inner workings of a psych job, where I can detail all this. But because I’ll have to sit down and work those out, I won’t be able to write them until after my exam (and the following vacation). But I do have a lot to say on this subject!

Hot town, summer in the city

Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty… Man, can I not stand this heat. I apologize in advance for all you people out there who have just been waiting for this weather and love the sun and whatnot – but for someone like me, who was born in a freakin’ blizzard, for chrissake, this is unbearable. I can’t concentrate, everything is greasy, bugs everywhere and I have to think of skin cancer every time I’m in a stray of that burning furnace of a planet (wait – is the sun even a planet? or is it a star? see – I can’t think straight!).

Another byproduct of the humidity, besides not being able to move, is not being able to eat. Or not wanting to. Not that I don’t get hungry, it’s just that the appetite goes away when I think of any food that could match the temperatures. And I’m not about to cook and create more heat. So this past week-end I decided I’d try some salad instead. The problem here is that thanks to a childhood trauma, I’m not a big fan of the leafy green stuff. Enter: two recipes for salads, without salad!

Recipe 1: Mom’s mix

This is a salad “created” by my mom, one of those evenings when she didn’t feel like cooking but still had to eat something. Traditionally, things were just pretty much piled together. But: it’s tasty and filling!

Ingredients:

• tomatoes
• mozzarella
• beetroot
• lentils

Preparation:

I usually use cherry tomatoes (’cuz they’re cuter) and just cut them in half, then chop up the mozzarella in uneven chunks (important for the taste!), buy pre-sliced beetroot (with a little juice) and mix them all in a bowl. Cook the lentils (red ones need about 10 minutes, green ones need 30), let them cool down and add to the bowl. Douse with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, toss everything up, and voila! Thanks to the proteins in the lentils, this is a pretty satiable dish, yet light, and very low-carb! Also suited for vegetarians.

Recipe 2: Greek mix

Last Thursday, The BF and I finally booked our post-diploma vacation: two weeks on the isle of Crete! Sea, beach and sun – here we come! As a next step, I bought a travel guide, to get to know the island a little. In there were also typical local dishes, including this (rather known) salad mix. Appropriate, since the Greek weather is also hot and Mediterranean food is known to be healthy. Sadly, I just read yesterday that there was an earthquake (5,9 on the Richter Scale) on Crete, although no damage has been reported. Can’t wait!

Ingredients:

• tomatoes
• feta
• cucumber

Preparation:

Cut all three constituents into nice, clean cut, even squares (a feast for the eyes!). Mix everything in a big bowl, sprinkle with a mix of green, red and black pepper, add chopped or dried basil and thyme. Douse with olive oil and red vine vinegar, toss up. Serve with a side of Indian naan (mine was with garlic and cilantro) for filling and saucing. Not as fun or strong as the first one, but it gets the job done and is made very quickly. Enjoy!